Champion of the Gods, Books 1-2 Page 2

  “Humph.” This came from the thicker of the two. “A pretty white horse with a horn on her head shows up and you want to go riding off to the Six only knows where, on an errand I bet you don’t fully understand.”

  “Ever blunt and to the point, aren’t we, Master Wesfazial?” A second “humph” answered Farrell’s question.

  “The privilege of age, my young friend,” Erstad said. “But a question worthy of an answer nevertheless.”

  “First, her name is Nerti, not ‘some pretty white horse with a horn.’” For some reason Farrell felt compelled to defend her. “Second, and far more important, Honorus sent His avatar to tell me to go with Lenore’s messenger.”

  He paused, shifting his eyes from one to the other and back. “Like it or not, I’m not going to ignore Lenore’s request for assistance.”

  “Boy, you’re a follower of Honorus. Let Lenore find a follower of Her own to send on some ill-fated quest.” Wesfazial pointedly ignored Nerti as he spoke. “Your place is here, not riding off somewhere trying to rescue people you don’t even know.”

  “Honorus said I should heed Lenore’s call for help. Said it would assist us in our fight. Besides, when Lenore sends a unicorn to collect you so she can take you on ‘an ill-fated quest,’ see how easy you find it to refuse.”

  Both older men looked back at Nerti as if weighing their options, causing Farrell to stifle a laugh. “Though I’m not, as you point out, a devotee of Lenore, Honorus gave me clear instructions: ‘Go with Lenore’s messenger.’ Unless, of course, you don’t believe Nerti was sent here by Lenore?”

  Erstad shook his head. “No, I’m certain she is who she appears. Still, I would feel better if you had more of an escort than simply Nerti, powerful as she may be. For ten years we’ve staked our chances of success in this war on bringing Meglar here, not you chasing him wherever he goes. What sense does it make planning to lure him here only to have you ride off like some lovesick knight in search of his fair lady?”

  Farrell stared at the older wizard, but before he spoke, Erstad quickly corrected himself. “My apologies. In your case, in search of his handsome lord. Riding off like that is not a good plan.”

  “So you counsel I ignore Lenore’s request and wait for Meglar to show up here?” Farrell looked from one to the other, daring them to say “Yes, we want you to ignore Lenore.” Neither said a word. “I didn’t think either of you wanted me to offend the Bright Lady.”

  Erstad smiled, which gave him the look of a serene grandfather addressing his favorite grandchild. “Of course you must do what Honorus tells you, but did He say you had to go alone?”

  “He will not be alone, Wizard. I shall bear him where he needs to go.” From the raised eyebrow Wesfazial gave him, Nerti must have projected her thoughts to all three of them.

  “Nerti calls us all ‘Wizard,’ I’m afraid. She also has little regard for invading our minds with her thoughts. But to answer your question, yes, I believe I am expected to go alone with Nerti. If others were to accompany us, Lenore would have sent more than one unicorn.”

  Nerti bobbed her head as Farrell collected the last two staves from the rough stone floor. To those, he added several more from a shelf in the cabinet. After selecting four pouches from a shelf above a long oak workbench, he looked at the growing pile of weapons. Would he need the bow and arrows? Maybe. He left them on the stack, then added a long, thin sword with an ivory handle. Just in case.

  He waited for his friends to speak, but when they remained silent, he pressed on. “Sometimes one must take on faith that the gods have a purpose for us. On those rare occasions They send clear signs of what They want from us, we need to follow Their will. I’m taking Nerti’s appearance as a clear sign to follow Honorus’s orders.” He arranged the items he’d collected and stuffed them one by one into his right pants pocket. Grasping the sword again, he worried his bottom lip. If the situation called for him to use his sword, he likely would be in no condition to use it. Best to set it aside.

  Nothing but heavy breathing and the clattering of his weapons filled the air.

  “I suppose I have everything I need. The endless pockets on these pants are beyond useful, Wesfazial. I shall thank you every time I use something from it.”

  The older wizard inclined his head slightly.

  “When will Master Cylinda be back?” Farrell would feel better about leaving if she were there.

  “I don’t expect her for another ten days,” Erstad said. “But don’t worry. Wesfazial and I can manage things. We’ve done it before.”

  “I promise we’ll lock the front gate and not answer it if Meglar knocks.” Wesfazial winked at Farrell.

  After trying to hold back a smile, Farrell finally gave up and shook his head. “That’s a relief. Now I don’t need to seal it before I go.”

  He could feel Nerti’s anxiety and walked over to her. Farrell extended his arm and pushed out with his will. When the Door reappeared, the Plains of Gharaha filled the bluish energy frame. Letting out a breath, he turned back to his mentors. “I truly believe this is the right thing to do. Honorus’s avatar told me to go with Nerti. When my god tells me this will aid our goals, I trust His wisdom.” He left out the bit about a soul mate. That felt too personal, and he had to admit it played a small part in his desire to undertake this task.

  “Hard for even an old curmudgeon like me to argue against doing what the blasted avatar of Honorus requests.” Wesfazial flashed him a mischievous grin. “But I don’t have to like it.”

  Farrell and Erstad both snickered.

  “No one will ever accuse you of being forced to like anything, my friend,” Erstad chided. Mirth drained from his face, and he looked deadly serious again. “Take care of yourself, son. We need you back. More importantly, we want you back. You too, Lady Nerti.”

  Nerti bowed her head but otherwise stayed quiet.

  “Erstad, your concern and that of Wesfazial—who looks apt to burst in frustration—is appreciated. But to my thinking, and I admit to still being young and foolish at times—”

  “Only at times?” Wesfazial’s gruff voice sounded forced to Farrell.

  “There isn’t the same element of uncertainty that many of our undertakings seem to hold,” Farrell continued. “The gods rarely tell us specifically to go somewhere or do anything. It’s always ‘Seek the place where all may be safe’ or ‘Oppose the evil that is Meglar.’ In all I have seen and read, a specific command of the gods carries with it a certain guarantee of success. Lenore would not send me on a fool’s errand that risks the success of Honorus’s plans. She must be confident that I’m capable of completing this mission.”

  Neither looked convinced, but whatever their thoughts, they kept silent.

  “The young wizard speaks truly,” Nerti said. “Lenore would not risk offending Her brother by asking Him to sacrifice His trusted servant. I will make sure I return him safely to you. Come, Wizard, it is time to go.”

  Without waiting for his response, she walked through the open Door. Once outside, she stared back, as if demanding he join her.

  “My name is not ‘Wizard.’ It’s Farrell,” he said softly.

  OUTSIDE AGAIN, Farrell waved his hand at the Door. When the last bit of blue-green light disappeared, he reached over his shoulder and touched his black wood staff to his back. It shrank to half its size and locked into place. Now to begin the errand.

  He paused a moment when he realized Nerti did not have a saddle. What he knew about unicorns, he learned twenty years ago. As a boy, he snuck old tomes from his master’s library to read about legends and heroes. Favored by Lenore, unicorns figured prominently in his boyhood fascinations. Despite the passage of time, he remembered that a rider freely welcomed on a unicorn’s back never fell.

  “Am I welcome to ride, Nerti?”

  “You are welcome, Servant of Honorus. Let us be off. Time is short and the distance is great.”

  He vaulted onto her back, shifting on the broad and journey-hardened muscles
until he found a comfortable position. Before he linked his fingers through her mane, a gentle pull of energy passed between him and Nerti, holding him in place. Sensing no magic, he decided this had to be the hand of the divine.

  Before he could examine the link further, Nerti lurched forward. Despite the gravity of the moment, a smile curled his lips. The legends failed to capture how amazing it felt to ride a unicorn.

  They raced across the Plains of Gharaha toward its one true entrance. Wind whipped his hair into his face. He swiped it back, focusing due east toward the gap in the western mountains. It looked an inch wide, but he knew an army could march through in formation.

  The entrance grew with every step. At this rate, Nerti would cross the plains in half the time it took the fastest horse.

  “How far is your home?” He hoped it didn’t require days of riding.

  “I ran almost two full days to reach you, Wizard.” As if reading his mind, Nerti continued, “But my Mistress said you could shorten that considerably with your talents.”

  “I can, but I need to know where we’re going first.”

  “My home is set in the Spine of Khron, about halfway between here and the Kessan Ocean. It is on the northern border of Respital.”

  He knew the mountains that marked the northern boundaries of the Seven Kingdoms, but her answer didn’t help. “Can you be more specific?”

  “There is a pass in the mountains. Northhelm is built inside the western spur.”

  “Pass? Impossible. The mountains are unbroken between Pelipan and Yar-del.”

  “No, Wizard. There is a passage, but it is hidden.”

  Hidden passage? The Six must have a hand in this. Either way, it didn’t matter. “If it’s hidden, then we can’t use a Door to get directly there. However, I should be able to shorten how long you’ll need to run.”

  “Proceed.” Her tone started to irritate him. Couldn’t she at least try to be friendly?

  “I can open a Door to the foothills where the Trellham Mountains meet the Spine of Khron. That is the closest distinctive landmark I know to where you say Northhelm lies. After that, we’ll have to run the rest of the way.”

  “That would certainly be a good start.”

  Did he hear a hint of approval?

  “The second way I can hasten our journey is more localized.” He waited for her to comment, but she remained silent. “Where the ground ahead is free of obstacles, I can pull us forward as you run. Essentially, I’m using the split second between steps to pull us both forward. The effect can be a bit disconcerting, and the longer the distance, the greater the disorientation. If you feel up to it, I can employ the technique between here and the pass.” Even at her speed, he had enough distance to practice.

  “Proceed.”

  By the Six! If she said “proceed” again, he’d…. He resisted the urge to dig his heels into her flanks.

  “I need to know how this feels before agreeing to it on the rest of the trip.”

  “Agreed.” He gauged the distance between them and their destination. “I’ll warn you before I cast the spell. The effect is hard to explain, but to me it feels as if the land rushes past me for a moment, and then it’s normal. I’ll be sure to leave us enough room so that we don’t run into the mountain.”

  “Do I reduce my pace?”

  “There’s no need for that. I’ll leave enough room for you to keep running.” If this small “pull” worked, he hoped to make much longer ones once they reached the northern slopes.

  Making use of his proximity to Haven, he drew on the stored energy in the Sources to power his spell. He fixed his eyes on a place at the edge of the plains. “Be ready. I’m going to employ the spell now.” By force of will, Farrell used the energy to “pull” them to a point closer to the end of Gharaha. “Honorus’s light!”

  “Is something wrong, Wizard? That seemed to work quite well. I felt no ill effects but did notice the land rush around us as you warned.”

  “That was not the normal effect, Nerti. We went much faster than I expected, though I did nothing different to warrant such an increase.” He didn’t like it when a spell went other than as planned, but he had no time to delve into the mystery. Nerti kept running toward the end of Gharaha. He pointed to his right. “Make for the small indentation in the mountain to the left of the standing outcrop of rock.”

  Nerti adjusted her path while Farrell concentrated on the Door. Unlike opening a Door from nothing, he could activate a permanent Door with a mental command. Once open, the Door would take them to any place he could visualize. He concentrated on the image of a wooded glade and sent his command. As soon as they hurtled through the Door, a thick warmth and the overpowering smell of pine assailed his senses.

  He searched the horizon, hoping for a clear view through the many obstacles.

  “It’s too dangerous to use the spell with this many trees in our way. The risk of crashing into one is too great.”

  “Do not apologize, Wizard. Your skills have brought us more than a third of the way to our destination. Use your spell whenever you can, and we will be there in short order.”

  This time, he knew he heard a note of respect in her voice. Now he felt a twinge of guilt at his earlier thought. Maybe the trip wouldn’t be so bad after all.

  “Keep alert for soldiers,” he said.

  “Are we not in Pelipan?”

  “We are, but stay alert anyway. I dislike King Heldin and don’t trust him.” He cast his senses wide, making certain no one had observed them exiting the Door.

  “Heldin is no friend of Meglar. We have nothing to fear from him or his people.”

  Finding nothing, Farrell relaxed a bit. “As you say, but years ago, while a student of Grand Master Heminaltose, I met Heldin. My master disliked and distrusted him, and I’ve never found any reason to disagree. Best we avoid any contact with his people.”

  If Nerti had a different opinion, she did not comment. Between her speed and his spells, they crossed Pelipan and moved into what was once Respital by midmorning.

  The sun had just passed its zenith when Farrell brought them out of the longest pull of the ride so far. A curdling sensation hit his gut, strengthening with each step forward. Something felt very wrong in this area. Nerti slowed to a stop.

  “We near Northhelm.” Her voice held a pain he could understand. “Meglar’s forces have been through here. I can tell you feel it as well.”

  “Aye. His troops leave a foul residue wherever they pass. Can you tell me what lies ahead so I can devise a plan of action?”

  Without a word, Nerti pushed her thoughts into his mind, allowing him to “see” the land ahead as she remembered it. Unlike Haven, Northhelm was built inside the last mountain before the pass. Meglar’s army would be able to surround her home on three sides. No one said getting to the front gate would be easy.

  He scoured the image she gave him. Perhaps the geography could work in their favor. Unlike Gharaha, the valley before Northhelm rolled up and down in a series of hills, with numerous rock formations thrusting up in random places. The southernmost hills extended several hundred yards beyond the break in the mountains. At least the pass could only be approached from the east.

  The path wound its way up and down the hills and around smooth, sheer rocks that limited the threat as much as they boxed them in. Essentially, they’d be running through an oversized cattle chute. But it also prevented an attack from above. Once in the valley, they’d turn north and follow the winding path to the gate.

  And of course, Meglar’s army stood between them and Northhelm.

  “Those who live in Northhelm would have defended the entrance with their lives if Lenore had not told us to keep to the mountain until She sent help.” Nerti moved again, showing no signs she’d been running for nearly three days straight. “Even the peregrines were ordered to stay inside.”

  Ferrell had never met a peregrine, but, like unicorns, he’d read about them. Raptors about the size of a horse, they possessed the agil
ity of a hawk.

  “How is it that this passage north and Northhelm have never been discovered until now? Respital is, or was, just south of here. Northhelm should have been discovered centuries ago.”

  “The city and the pass were hidden.”

  “Hidden?” He knew how stupid he sounded repeating everything. “Who could hide an entire mountain?”

  It felt as though Nerti laughed in his mind. “It was the wizard Beatrice.”

  “My master, Heminaltose, studied for a time under an ancient wizard named Beatrice almost a thousand years ago.” It had to be the same wizard. “He only studied with her a few years before she died.”

  “When Heminaltose studied with Beatrice, she was about to celebrate her two thousandth year. She did this when she was very young.”

  If a young Beatrice cast the spell, then…. “Your home has been hidden for more than three millennia?”

  “That would be accurate.”

  “To have lasted three thousand years is an amazing piece of magic.” Now he wished he had the chance to study it. “How did Meglar find you?”

  “Some of our warriors rode to the aid of Respital.” Nerti didn’t sound as though she approved. “One who was gravely wounded was inadvertently left behind and captured.”

  Farrell kept alert as they rode. “When survivors from Respital arrived at Haven, they spoke of a company of mercenaries who impossibly held back Meglar’s Chamdon long enough for the main army to retreat. After the battle, they disappeared, and no one knew what happened to them.”

  “Before Meglar attempted to turn the fallen warrior into a Chamdon, he stripped her mind of all useful information, including the location of Northhelm.”

  “Armed with her knowledge, he was able to pierce Beatrice’s spells.”

  “Precisely.”

  A frightening image forced its way into his mind. “What happened to the captured Muchari?”

  “After he obtained the needed information, Meglar attempted to turn her into a Chamdon. When he turned his foul magic on her, her wounds did not heal as he hoped. Instead, it hastened her death, but not before Meglar saw what great strength a Muchari had when converted to one of his foul creatures.”